GB2129271A

GB2129271A - Apparatus for smoothing the surface of a body

Info

Publication number: GB2129271A
Application number: GB08328070A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gunter Muller
Original assignee: Ferrero OHG
Current assignee: Ferrero OHG
Priority date: 1982-10-26
Filing date: 1983-10-20
Publication date: 1984-05-16
Also published as: DE3239644C2; DK158765B; SE8305373L; GB2129271B; NL192077C; EP0109534B1; DK158765C; NL8303050A; DK489783D0; SE8305373D0; SE458575B; EP0109534A2; GB8328070D0; DE3239644A1; EP0109534A3; DK489783A

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for smoothing the surface of a body The invention relates to an apparatus for smoothing the surface of a rotationally symmetrical body, especially a spherical chocolate scattered with granulate.

A spherical chocolate is produced, for example, by coating a spherical filled basic wafer body with a chocolate material and then scattering this coated surface area with a granulate, for example, nut granulate (nut splinters). In such a case, after being scattered on, the granulate splinters project from the surface in an accumulation which is possibly somewhat uneven and with an irregular alignment. At the same time, the granulate splinters are submerged in the chocolate material at different depths. This unevenness is not only detrimental to the external appearance of the chocolate, but possibly also leads to the result that when the chocolate is packed in a very thin aluminium foil the granulate splinters projecting farthest pierce the foil.

In particular when the chocolate is to be provided with a further chocolate coating after the granulate has been applied, less chocolate material is needed for an even surface when the granulate on the surface has previously been evened out. In particular, however, evening out results in better roundness of the spherical chocolate.

An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an apparatus for smoothing the surface of a rotationally symmetrical body, especially a spherical chocolate scattered with granulate, this apparatus giving the body the best possible round appearance and such a surface that a packaging material which will possibly be very thin is not damaged during packaging.

This object is achieved, according to the invention, when there are at least two rollers which match the shape of the rotationally symmetrical body and are rotatable about their own axis and are located parallel to and opposite one another and on which a rotationally symmetrical body so rests in two particular associated annular forming recesses, either one of which is formed by one of the opposing rollers, that this body does not fall through.

According to this solution, the bodies to be smoothed rest under their own weight in the forming recesses of the rollers which, during their rotation, also rotate the body so that such action is exerted within the forming recesses on the entire surface of the body that the surface is smoothed. This has an especially advantageous effect when the surface of the body is scattered with a granulate which normally projects irregularly from the surface after scattering. As a result of the smoothing process, all the granulate splinters are pressed flat on the surface, so that no points of the granulate project above the surface, particularly when gaps which still exist are subsequently filled, for example with more chocolate.

Preferably, several forming recesses are arranged in succession along the roller axis, so that in one and the same operation the surfaces of several bodies can be smoothed at the same time.

In a particular development, the generating line of each annular forming recess can be a circular arc, the ends of which each merge, as seen in the axial direction of the roller, into an intermediate portion of the roller, the centres of curvature of the circular arcs of opposing forming recesses of the rollers lying on an imaginary line which is at an angle differing from 90 in relation to the roller axes, so that one end of the circular arc of the forming recess of one roller projects in the direction of the other roller over a centre line lying centrally between the roller axes and parallel to these, and the other end is set back in the direction of its own roller, this being the case in reverse as regards the forming recess of the other roller located opposite.

As a result, the body experiences rotation both about an axis lying parallel to the roller axes and about an axis lying at an angle to this, so that, in fact, the entire surface can be encompassed and smoothed.

A further advantageous embodiment is obtained when, as seen in one direction of the roller axes, the front end of the curved path of the first forming recess of one roller projects in the direction of the other roller over the said centre line, and the rear end of this curved path is set back in the direction of its own roller and there merges into an intermediate portion of relatively smaller diameter, to which is joined the front end of the curved path of the following forming recess, the rear end of the curved path of which again projects over the said centre line and merges into an intermediate portion of relatively larger diameter, to which is joined again the front end of the curved path of the next forming recess, which likewise projects over the said centre line, and when the forming recesses of the other opposing roller are arranged correspondingly asymmetrically, so that an intermediate portion of relatively smaller diameter of one roller has located opposite it an intermediate portion of relatively larger diameter of the other roller, and vice versa.

This specical design makes it possible to arrange the rollers relative to one another in the best possible way, whilst guaranteeing that as large a number of bodies as possible is processed at the same time.

The intermediate portions are preferably made essentially cylindrical. However, in an especially advantageous way, only the intermediate portion of relatively smaller diameter is made cylindrical and the intermediate portion of relatively larger diameter is provided with an annular depression extending around the periphery. This depression guarantees that granulate splinters falling off from the surface are prevented from being ground between the rollers rotating in the same direction.

Because the depression is located in the intermediate portion of relatively larger diameter, the body diameter of the roller can be made relatively small, especially when the forming recesses and the intermediate portions are formed by prefabricated components which are keyed on a shaft.

Preferably, a plurality of rollers assigned to one another are movable parallel to one another along a continuous path in a direction perpendicular to the roller axis, so that during the time when the rollers are rotating the surface can be smoothed at the same time as the bodies are transported in the direction of the next processing station. In this case, each roller is preferably mounted rotatably in chain links of at least one driven, endlessly circulating first chain. In association with this, there can be a second chain which can be driven separately and in the chain links of which engage sprocket wheels connected fixedly to the rollers.

By means of this second chain, the rotation of the rollers can be controlled in any way, specifically in terms of direction and rotational speed, depending on whether the second chain is driven in one direction or the other or is possibly stationary.

Further details, features and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description of exemplary embodiments illustrated purely diagrammatically in the drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic plan view of two rollers, illustrated partially in a longitudinal direction only, for smoothing spherical chocolates indicated by broken lines, together with the drive mechanism, Fig. 2 shows a diagrammatic side view of a plurality of rollers arranged so that they can circulate along a continuous path, and Fig. 3 shows a sectional view through the arrangement according to Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows two rollers 10 which are arranged in a manner corresponding to Fig. 2 along a continuous circuit. Of this plurality of rollers, only two rollers assigned to one another are shown in both Fig. 1 and Fig. 3. The two roller types 10 and 10' illustrated here alternate with one another in the direction of the circuit. The rollers consist essentially of shafts 1 2 and of shaped pieces which are attached to them and which are yet to be described in detail. However, the drive mechanism will be described first with reference to Fig. 3.

Each shaft 12, and the shafts shown in Fig. 3 are not the shafts assigned to one another, but the shafts of the upper and lower side respectively, is mounted by means of a roller bearing 14 in a chain link 1 6 which engages into a sprocket wheel 1 8. This sprocket wheel 1 8 is driven separately via a sprocket wheel 20, a chain 22 and a further sprocket wheel 24, so that the shafts 12 and consequently the rollers 10 and 10' move in a direction of circulation as indicated by the arrow 26 in Fig. 2. This movement serves primarily for transporting the chocolates to be smoothed, and during this time the surface of the chocolates is smoothed by the rotating rollers 10 and 10'.

In Fig. 2, a particular sprocket wheel 26 is located in the regions of deflection of the circuit, with a second chain 28 which runs around within the circuit of the rollers 10, 10' and which is driven separately via a shaft 30 and a sprocket wheel 32 (Fig. 3). There engage in the chain 28 sprocket wheels 34, any one of which is attached to at least oneside of the shaft 1 2 so as to be fixed against rotation.

A movement of the rollers 10, 1 0' along a closed circuit takes place via the drive 22, 20, 18, 1 6. When the chain 28 is stationary, the sprocket wheels 34 engaging in the chain are driven. Depending on the direction in which and the speed at which the chain 28 is driven, or whether it is possibly stationary, the rollers rotate correspondingly as regards direction and rotational speed, specifically each matching the particular surfaces to be smoothed.

A plurality of shaped pieces 36, 36' are pushed onto each shaft 12, as is evident especially in Figs. 1 and 3. These shaped pieces, which can of course also be distributed along the roller in another way, are two different shaped pieces, on the one hand the shaped pieces 36 for the roller 10 and the shaped pieces 36' for the roller 10'.

The rollers are provided with annular recesses 38, the generating line of which is a curved path and preferably a circular arc. Located between the recesses 38 are respectively, on the one hand, an intermediate portion 40 of relatively smaller diameter and, on the other hand, an intermediate portion 42 of relatively larger diameter. Spherical chocolates 44, indicated diagrammatically by broken lines in Fig. 1, are located between forming recesses 38 of parallel and opposing rollers 10,10', without falling through between the rollers. They rest simply under their own weight in the recesses 38 formed by the rollers.

In Fig. 1, the respective centres of the circles R and R' for the circular arcs of the recesses are located where the spherical chocolate 44 is indicated diagrammatically on the far left. The connecting line 46 between these centre points lies at an angle a of less than 90 in relation to the roller centre line 48. When the rollers 10 and 10' rotate in the same direction, with the recesses being arranged relative to one another in this way, the chocolate 44 rotates, on the one hand, about a centre line 50 lying parallel to the roller axes 48 and, on the other hand, about an axis extending perpendicularly to the reference line 46 running through the centres of the circles Rand R'. A more uniform and more effective smoothing action is achieved as a result.

As a resu It of this special alignment of the circular arcs, and looking in succession from left to right in Fig. 1 , the front end 52 of the curved path of the first recess 38 of one roller 1 0 projects a specific amount in the direction of the other roller 10' over the centre line 50 lying centrally between the roller axes 48 and parallel thereto.

The rear end 54 of this curved path is set back at a specific distance behind this centre line 50 in the direction of its own roller 10 and there merges into the intermediate portion 40 of relatively smaller diameter which in this case is made cylindrical.The front end 55 of the curved path of the next recess 38 then again joins this centre portion 40 and is likewise set back behind the said centre line 50 in the direction of its own roller 10 to the same extent as the abovementioned end 54. The rear end 56 of the curved path of this forming recess 38 again projects over the centre line 50 in the direction of the other roller 1 0' and merges into the intermediate portion 42 of relatively larger diameter. A forming recess corresponding to the forming recess mentioned first is then joined to this again.On the other roller 10', the recesses are arranged asymmetrically in respect of the abovementioned recesses of the roller 1 0. In the shaped pieces 36 of one roller 10, the parting line 60 between the shaped pieces 36 lies in the centre of the intermediate portion 42 of relatively larger diameter. In the shaped pieces 36' of the other roller 1 0', a parting line 62 lies in the centre of the intermediate portions 40 of relatively small diameter. In the rollers 10 and 10' located parallel to and opposite one another, an intermediate portion 40 of relatively smaller diameter is located respectively opposite an intermediate portion 42 of relatively larger diameter. At the same time, the intermediate portions 40 of relatively smaller diameter are preferably made cylindrical. The intermediate portions 42 of relatively larger diameter are provided with an annular depression 64 extending around the periphery, so that there remains between the opposing intermediate portions sufficient space in which granulate splinters (for example, nut splinters), which are located on the surface of the chocolate to be smoothed and which can possibly fall off during the smoothing process, can fall through, without these nut splinters falling off being ground between the rollers. This grinding would press oil out of the nut splinters which can result in the chocolate becoming prematurely rancid.

Claims

1. Apparatus for smoothing the surface of a rotationally symmetrical body, especially a spherical chocolate scattered with granulate, wherein there are at least two rollers which match the shape of the rotationally symmetrical body and are rotatable about their own axis and are located parallel to and opposite one another and on which a rotationally symmetrical body so rests in two particular annular forming recesses assigned to one another, either one of which is formed by one of the opposing rollers that this body does not fall through.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein several forming recesses are arranged in succession along the roller axis.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the generating line of each annular forming recess is a circular arc, the ends of which each merge, as seen in the axial direction of the roller, into an intermediate portion of the roller the centres of curvature of opposing forming recesses of the rollers lying on an imaginary line which is at an angle differing from soc in relation to the roller axes, so that one end of the circular arc of the forming reces of one roller projects in the direction of the other roller over a centre line lying centrally between the roller axes and parallel to these and the other end is set back in the direction of its own roller, this being the case in reverse as regards the associated forming recesses of the other roller located opposite.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 2 and 3, wherein as seen in one direction of the roller axes, the front end of the circular path of the first forming recess of a roller projects in the direction of the other roller over the said centre line, and the rear end of this circular path is set back in the direction of its own roller and there merges into an intermediate portion of relatively smaller diameter, to which is joined the front end of the circular path of the following forming recess, the rear end of the circular path of which again projects over the said centre line and merges into an intermediate portion of relatively larger diameter, to which is joined, again, the front end of the circular path of the next forming recess, which likewise projects over the said centre line and wherein the forming recesses of the other opposing roller are arranged correspondingly asymmetrically, so that an intermediate portion of relatively smaller diameter of one roller has located opposite it an intermediate portion of relatively larger diameter of the other roller, and vice versa.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the intermediate portions are made essentially cylindrical.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the intermediate portion of relatively smaller diameter is made cylindrical, and the intermediate portion of relatively larger diameter is provided with an annular depression extending around the periphery.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein a plurality of rollers assigned to one another are movable prallel to one another along a continuous path in a direction perpendicular to the roller axis.

8. Aparatus according to Claim 7, wherein each roller is mounted rotatably in chain links of at least one driven, endlessly circulating first chain.

9. Apparatus according to Claims 7 and 8, wherein there is a circulating second chain which can be driven separately and in the chain links of which engage sprocket wheels connected to the rollers so as to be fixed against rotation.

10. An apparatus for smoothing the surface of a rotationally symmetrical body substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.